Journal box



July 11, 1933.

c. c. DIBBLE 1,917,510

JOURNAL BOX Filed Jan. 13, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l A ORNEYS July 11, 19331c. c. DIBB LE JOURNAL BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 13, 1930 July 11,1933. c. c. DIBBLEV 1,917,510

JOURNAL BOX Filed Jan. 13, 1930 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 UNITED STATES PATENT;

: 'FFICE CLYTDE e. DIBBLE, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIAuA JOURNAL. BOX

Application filed January 13, 1930. Serial Nb. 420,318;

This invention relates to journal boxes and particularly to such boxesas are employed to house the ournals of railway vehicle axles. Thenature, objects and advantages can best be understood from aconsideration of the following discussion:

The substantially standard form of journal box at present in usecomprises a box structure on which the weight of the vehicle rests, acrown bearing or brass saddled on the axle journal itself and a memberinterposed between the bearing brass and the inside of the top of thebox structure. :This member, usually termed a journal box wedge orabearing backing member is normally provided with'an upper surface whichis curved longitudinally of the axle or its journal. The curved surfacecontacts with. the inside surface at the top of the box and serves tomaintain an even pr ssure over the entire contacting area of the crownbrass and the journal by rocking slightly when unevenness orirregularities of the railway tracks are encountered. The rockingmovement is better adapted to'acconnnodate for irregularities than anytype of sliding movement such, for example, as would be afforded bycomplementary concave andconvex surfaces on the wedge and top of thebox.

Constant use causes the upper surface of the wedge member to becomeflattened and the inside surface at the top of the box structure tobecome concave. This condition is probably brought about either by wearof the parts or by compression of the metal of which the parts are made,or possibly by both. l'Vhen their original surfaces have be come alteredby use it is obvious that the proper line contact between the wedge andthe top of the box is destroyed with the re suit that the parts nolonger accommodate themselves to irregularities in track conditions byrocking and, therefore, the load of the vehicle is irregularly andunevenlytransmitted to the axle journal. Heretofoi-e, when thiscondition arose a new wedge was inserted in place of'the old one butsuch replacement, at best, only partially rectified the condition andinbadly worn boxes was of no avail whatever; Thus, a box which hadbecome badly worn either was used in such bad condition or. wasdiscarded or scrapped before it had been employed long enough to causevany appreciable wear to any other of its parts.

It has also been suggested that to make the top of the box structurethicker or to harden the top of the box, as by heat treat ment, wouldprevent its inside surface from becoming concaved from use. However,regardlessof whether the surfaces are destroyed by compression or wear,neither the expedient of heat treatment nor of making boxes with thickertop walls would remedy the situation. The former could not be employedbecause such treatment could n'otbe confined to any particular surfaceof the box structure and if extended to other parts would be detrimentalto theirperforma nce in service.

Furthermore, heat treatment, at best, would 0 vbox structure thickerwould beof no avail inview of the fact that'neither the compressibilitynor the wearing qualities of the metal would be affected. j

With a View to overcoming the above noted difficulties my inventioncontemplates the interposition of a readily renewable wear member orplate between the upper surface of the wedge member and the top of thebox structure. 1

Three forms of such a construction are ill'ustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in 35 which 1 p j Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectionthrough anaxle or journal box embodying my improvements in the preferredform;

. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken as indicated by the line2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line3 -3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 isa view similar toFig. 3 with certain of the bearing partsremoved; Fig15is a view similar to Fig. l of asomewhat modified form ofconstruction; I

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken as indi cated by the line 6-6 of'Fig.'5; and

bers to be described hereinafter. The journal box is also shown as beingprovided with the usual bearing lugs or stop means indicated at 11.

The bearing structure includes the bear- 7 ing member 12 which maybeprovided with a lining 13 as well as ears or lugs 14 adjacent thebearing stop means 11 of the box structure (see Fig. 2). Above thebearing 12 is a wedge or backing member 15 provided with an uppersurface'curved or arched longitudinally of the journal, as indicated at16 (see Fig. 1). V

Instead of mounting the wedge member 15 to rock directly on the innerside of the top 10 of the box '.structure, as is the usual practice, thepresent invention contemplates the interposition of a readily renewableplate or wear member 17 between the upper curved surface 16 of the wedgemember and the top of the box structure. This element 17, furthermore,is preferably constructed so as to be invertible or reversible, to whichend it is provided with parallel sides in order that a flat surface maybe presented to and contact with the surface 16 of the backing memberregardless of the position in which the invertible plate is inserted.

Still further, in order to retain the plate 17 in its operativeposition, it is preferably provided with recesses 18 in the edgesthereof which are adapted to fit around orengage the lugs 11 of the boxstructure.

The manner in which the plate 17 may be inverted or replaced will beapparent from the following outlined erence to Fig. 4: V M

The box structure 8 is first jacked up in any suitable manner withrespect to the journal 9 in order to permit removal of thebearing 12 andthe backing member 15 in the usual manner. After removal of the members12 and 15, the plate 17 may be displaced or moved to the positionindicated in dotted lines at 19 in Fig. 4 after which it may bewithdrawn from the box endwise, it beingunderstood that the edges of theplate 17 are oppositely bevelled. or angled as at 20 and 21 in order topermit disengagement from the bearing stop means 11. plate 17 arebevelled in the particular manner indicated to permit the plate to besecured in the box as well as to be removed procedure with reftherefromwith either side thereof turned downwardly.

In this connection, attention is called to The edges of the the factthat this arrangement of parts permits inversion or replacement of theplate 17 without removing the vehicle load from the journal, box and atthe same time ensures that the plate will remain in its proper positionduring operation when the vehicle is in use. i

Still further, the ready removability of the plate 17 affords anopportunity to examine the surfaces thereof whenever the hearing or theWedge is removed for examination or replacement.

In the modification of Figures 5 and 6, the renewable plate indicated bythe reference character 22, in this instance, is made narrow enough tofit between the usual bearing stop means 11 throughout its entirelength. That is, in this form, the plate is not provided with oppositelybevelled andrecessed edges, as in Figs. 1 to 4, but is sufficientlysmall in overall width to pass between the lugs 11 of the box structureeven when in a horizontal position. r r

The modification of Fig. 7 involves a renewable plate member 23 having alower convexly curved surface 24 adapted to contact with and rock on theupper surface 16 of the wedge member 15.

It is obvious that still further modifications of the construction couldbe made without demight be made, a construction might be built upincluding a wedge member having a flat upper surface on which arenewable member having a curved surface-Was mounted.

The present application is acontinuation in part of application SerialNo. 324,126, filed December 6, 1928.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In combination with a journal box constructionhaving stop or lug means at the sides thereof, a journal bearing, abacking member above the bearing and a renewable plate member positionedbetween the backing member and the top of the box structure and havingrecesses in the edges thereof adapted to engage said lug means toprevent displacement of the plate member, said plate member also beingprovided with oppositely bevelled edges to permit removal thereof fromthe box, after removal of the bearing and backing member, by asubstantially angular displacement and a longitudinal movement.

2. A journal box construction for a railway vehicle journal including anopen ended box structure surrounding the journal with a top wall abovethe journal having a fiat and imperforate inside surface extendedsubstantially to the outer edge of the bearing portion thereof, abearing in the box saddled on the journal, a bearing backing memberabove the bearing having an upper surface convexly curved in a directionaxially of the journal and being substantially without curvature in adirection transverse the journal, a. readily renewable Wear plateinterposed between said bearing backing member and the top wall of thebox, the said plate being re tained in its normal operative position inthe box structure by weight of the vehicle imposed on the journal fromthe box structure, the renewable wear plate having parallel surfaceswhich are substantially fiat and imperfora-te atleast in an extendedcentral region thereof, and stop means on the box structure positionedto abut against said plate and adapted to provide against displacementof the plate axially of the journal when said plate is held in itsnormal operative-position by virtue of the transmission of weight fromthe box to the journal, whereby when irregular track conditions and thelike are encountered, angular displacements of the journal and the boxare accommodated by a line contact rolling movement between said bearingbacking member and said plate, and whereby, in order to renew ormaintain said line contact, said plate may be removed and replacedthrough the open end of the box structure upon relative verticaldisplacement of the box structure and the journal to- 'remove the weightof the vehicle from the journal.

3. A journal boxconstruction for a railway vehicle ournal including anopen ended box structure surrounding the journal with a top wall abovethe journal having a fiat and imperforate inside surface extendedsubstan-' tially to the outer edge of the bearing portion thereof, abearing in the box saddled on the journal, a bearing backing memberabove the bearing having an upper surface convexly curved in a directionaxially of the journal in an extended central region thereof, and a stopmember in the box structure positioned V to cooperate with the bearingbacking member and with said plate andadapted to provide againstdisplacement thereof axially of the journal when said member and saidplate are held in their normal operative positions by virtue ofthe-transmission of weight from the box'to the journal, whereby, whenirregu-' lar track conditions and the like are encountered,jangulardisplacements of'the journal and the box are accommodated by a linecontact rolling movement between said bearing tact, said plate may beremoved and replaced through the open end. of the box structure upon.relative vertical displacement of the box structure and the journal toremove the 1 weight of the vehicle from the journal.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name."

CLYDE o. DIBBLE.

9 backing member and said plate, and whereby, in order to renew ormaintain said llne con-

